1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intravenous use in an emergency and more particularly to a portable intravenous pole which may be used in combination with a stretcher or gurney and the weight of the emergency victim's body to support an intravenous solution delivery system during transport of the emergency victim to the ambulance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,639, entitled Apparatus the Parenteral Administration of Liquids at a Constant Flow Rate, issued to Francisco Di Salvo on Oct. 26, 1982, teaches an intravenous pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,378, entitled Ambulatory Patient Support Stand, issued to John W. Pryor on June 1, 1982, teaches a support stand which includes a wheeled support for an ambulatory patient. The support stand utlizes wide span legs together with its low center of gravity and a low horizontal push point. The patient grips the support stand through a toroidal ring grip. A user may suspend an intravenous bottle from a pole supported above the toroidal ring grip.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,514, entitled Pressure Infusion Device, issued to Howard Hemut Hinck on May 23, 1978, teaches a pressure infusion device which includes a bladder as part of the cuff in which a fluid filled plastic bag is encassed wherein the bladder surrounds at least eighty percent of the plastic bag, and upon fluid being pumped into the bladder, the fluid in the plastic bag is infused under pressure to a patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,355, entitled Collapsible Supporting Stand, issued to Miroslav Uroshevich on Apr. 16, 1974, teaches a collapsible supporting stand which has a tripodal base with legs which are pivotally mounted at the bottom of a base shaft. The supporting arm is pivotally mounted to a vertical shaft which is slidably mounted in the base shaft. The collapsible supporting stand also has an adjusting mechanism for the supporting arm and the vertical shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,648, entitled Baby Bottle Holder, issued to Russell J. Sepanski on Apr. 8, 1966, teaches a baby bottle holder which has a base which a user disposes underneath the back of a baby and a bottle mount which is mechanically coupled to the base and which receives a baby bottle so that a user may suspend a baby bottle above a baby so that the baby may drink from the baby bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,082,808, entitled Bottle Holder, issued to Norman Hubbard on Dec. 30, 1913, teaches a baby bottle holder which is similar to the baby bottle holder of U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,648.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,550, entitled Emergency Medical Kit, issued to Paul K. Williams on Oct. 2, 1979, teaches an emergency medical kit which has a plurality of pockets and straps which are designed to hold medical equipment. The pocket are selectively closable to prevent the loss of the equipment retained therein. In an unfolded position, the medical kit can be spread upon a flat surface, or suspended from a hanger, such that the medical equipment is readily accessible to medical personnel. In a folded position, the medical kit is attachable to a person's back so medical equipment and supplies can be transported to areas inaccessible via motor vehicles. There is a life support liter which is a lightweight self-contained system for emergency cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and which includes a backboard, contoured to automatically hyperextend neck for maintenance of open airway, an oxygen supply system, and an intravenous pole, coupled to a life support liter so that an emergency victim can receive both an intravenous solution and oxygen while being transported.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,588, entitled Medical Support Board, issued to Paul D. Lovegrove on Sept. 1, 1981, teaches a medical support board to inhibit movement of a patient's limb. The medical support board has an adherent strip applied to its reverse side. The adherent strip is removably adherable to materials underlying the support board such as carpets, blankets or the clothing of the patient. The adherent strip adherring to an underlying material inhibits movement of the patient's limb relative to the body. Straps are provided to secure the limb to the support board and are fastened by means of adherent strips.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,969, entitled Fluid Regulating Device with Torsional Control, issued to Donald A. Raible, Stuart M. Potichs and Rita Stauffer on Oct. 6, 1981, teaches an improved fluid regulating device which is used in a parenteral administration system having tubing. The device provides torsional flexture of the tubing by relative rotation between first and second body members to regulate fluid flow. U.S. pat. No. 4,292,969 teaches an intravenous pole which is typical of the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,280, entitled Wheeled Patient Support, issued to Sephen C. Donohoe on Feb. 26, 1980, teaches a wheeled patient support which includes a platform secured to the unit laterally beyond the periphery of the unit and substantially below the patient supporting surface with a rolling surface mounted to and beneath the platform so that an attendant can stand on the platform and treat the patient while the patient is being wheeled to the area of treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,941, entitled Emergency Cot with a Spring-Biased Retractable Wheel Carriage, issued to Jerome L. Merkel, teaches an emergency cot for transporting a patient. None of the emergency cots and stretchers has an intravenous pole coupled to it. The lack of an intravenous pole necessitates a third person carrying the intravenous solution delivery system above an emergency victim while he is being transported on either an emergency cot or a stretcher by two other attendants. In a large scale emergency where there may be a number of victims this use of a third person is not only inefficient, but also unsafe to the emergency victim.